Each October, the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield hosts an annual Ava Gardner Festival to celebrate the North Carolina native's life and her career as one of Hollywood's brightest stars.  Highlights include heritage tours, screenings of classic Ava Gardner films, special exhibits, and a Gala event to kick off the festival.

Guided Heritage tours feature points of interest that include Ava’s birthplace, theTeacherage where she grew up, and the Howell Theater where Ava first went to the movies.  The tours end with a visit to Ava’s gravesite in Sunset Memorial Park.

The Ava Gardner Museum offers special Festival Package rates that include access to the Festival Gala, festival-long museum admission, heritage tour passes and movie tickets.  Only a limited number of packages are available.

Several hotels in the area offer special room rates especially for the festival.  The Ava Gardner Museum is located at 325 E. Market Street, Smithfield, NC 27577  The museum is wheelchair accessible. Read about the museum HERE

For more info:  Phone: 919.934.5830